12 And when they lifted up H5375 their eyes H5869 afar off, H7350 and knew H5234 him not, they lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and wept; H1058 and they rent H7167 every one H376 his mantle, H4598 and sprinkled H2236 dust H6083 upon their heads H7218 toward heaven. H8064
The elders H2205 of the daughter H1323 of Zion H6726 sit H3427 upon the ground, H776 and keep silence: H1826 they have cast up H5927 dust H6083 upon their heads; H7218 they have girded H2296 themselves with sackcloth: H8242 the virgins H1330 of Jerusalem H3389 hang down H3381 their heads H7218 to the ground. H776
And Joshua H3091 rent H7167 his clothes, H8071 and fell H5307 to the earth H776 upon his face H6440 before H6440 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 until the eventide, H6153 he and the elders H2205 of Israel, H3478 and put H5927 dust H6083 upon their heads. H7218
And it came to pass, when the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 spake H1696 these words H1697 unto all the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that the people H5971 lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and wept. H1058
So they two H8147 went H3212 until they came H935 to Bethlehem. H1035 And it came to pass, when they were come H935 to Bethlehem, H1035 that all the city H5892 was moved H1949 about them, and they said, H559 Is this Naomi? H5281 And she said H559 unto them, Call H7121 me not Naomi, H5281 call H7121 me Mara: H4755 for the Almighty H7706 hath dealt very H3966 bitterly H4843 with me. I went out H1980 full, H4392 and the LORD H3068 hath brought me home again H7725 empty: H7387 why then call H7121 ye me Naomi, H5281 seeing the LORD H3068 hath testified H6030 against me, and the Almighty H7706 hath afflicted H7489 me?
Then David H1732 and the people H5971 that were with him lifted up H5375 their voice H6963 and wept, H1058 until they had no more power H3581 to weep. H1058
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end H3615 of speaking, H1696 that, behold, the king's H4428 sons H1121 came, H935 and lifted up H5375 their voice H6963 and wept: H1058 and the king H4428 also and all his servants H5650 wept H1058 very H3966 sore. H1065 H1419
My kinsfolk H7138 have failed, H2308 and my familiar friends H3045 have forgotten H7911 me.
Her Nazarites H5139 were purer H2141 than snow, H7950 they were whiter H6705 than milk, H2461 they were more ruddy H119 in body H6106 than rubies, H6443 their polishing H1508 was of sapphire: H5601 Their visage H8389 is blacker H2821 than a coal; H7815 they are not known H5234 in the streets: H2351 their skin H5785 cleaveth H6821 to their bones; H6106 it is withered, H3001 it is become like a stick. H6086
And G2532 they cast G906 dust G5522 on G1909 their G846 heads, G2776 and G2532 cried, G2896 weeping G2799 and G2532 wailing, G3996 saying, G3004 Alas, G3759 alas, G3759 that great G3173 city, G4172 wherein G1722 G3739 were made rich G4147 all G3956 that had G2192 ships G4143 in G1722 the sea G2281 by reason of G1537 her G846 costliness! G5094 for G3754 in one G3391 hour G5610 is she made desolate. G2049
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 2
Commentary on Job 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Job 2:1-8. Satan Further Tempts Job.
1. a day—appointed for the angels giving an account of their ministry to God. The words "to present himself before the Lord" occur here, though not in Job 1:6, as Satan has now a special report to make as to Job.
3. integrity—literally, "completeness"; so "perfect," another form of the same Hebrew word, Job 11:7.
movedst … against—So 1Sa 26:19; compare 1Ch 21:1 with 2Sa 24:1.
4. Skin for skin—a proverb. Supply, "He will give." The "skin" is figurative for any outward good. Nothing outward is so dear that a man will not exchange it for some other outward good; "but" (not "yea") "life," the inward good, cannot be replaced; a man will sacrifice everything else for its sake. Satan sneers bitterly at man's egotism and says that Job bears the loss of property and children because these are mere outward and exchangeable goods, but he will give up all things, even his religion, in order to save his life, if you touch his bones and flesh. "Skin" and "life" are in antithesis [Umbreit]. The martyrs prove Satan's sneer false. Rosenmuller explains it not so well. A man willingly gives up another's skin (life) for his own skin (life). So Job might bear the loss of his children, &c., with equanimity, so long as he remained unhurt himself; but when touched in his own person, he would renounce God. Thus the first "skin" means the other's skin, that is, body; the second "skin," one's own, as in Ex 21:28.
6. but save—rather, "only spare his life." Satan shows his ingenuity in inflicting pain, and also his knowledge of what man's body can bear without vital injury.
7. sore boils—malignant boils; rather, as it is singular in the Hebrew, a "burning sore." Job was covered with one universal inflammation. The use of the potsherd [Job 2:8] agrees with this view. It was that form of leprosy called black (to distinguish it from the white), or elephantiasis, because the feet swell like those of the elephant. The Arabic judham (De 28:35), where "sore botch" is rather the black burning boil (Isa 1:6).
8. a potsherd—not a piece of a broken earthen vessel, but an instrument made for scratching (the root of the Hebrew word is "scratch"); the sore was too disgusting to touch. "To sit in the ashes" marks the deepest mourning (Jon 3:6); also humility, as if the mourner were nothing but dust and ashes; so Abraham (Ge 18:27).
Job 2:9-13. Job Reproves His Wife.
9. curse God—rather, "renounce" God. (See on Job 1:5) [Umbreit]. However, it was usual among the heathens, when disappointed in their prayers accompanied with offerings to their gods, to reproach and curse them.
and die—that is, take thy farewell of God and so die. For no good is to be got out of religion, either here or hereafter; or, at least, not in this life [Gill]; Nothing makes the ungodly so angry as to see the godly under trial not angry.
10. the foolish women—Sin and folly are allied in Scripture (1Sa 25:25; 2Sa 13:13; Ps 14:1).
receive evil—bear willingly (La 3:39).
11. Eliphaz—The view of Rawlinson that "the names of Job's three friends represent the Chaldean times, about 700 B.C.," cannot be accepted. Eliphaz is an Idumean name, Esau's oldest son (Ge 36:4); and Teman, son of Eliphaz (Ge 36:15), called "duke." Eusebius places Teman in Arabia-Petræa (but see on Job 6:19). Teman means "at the right hand"; and then the south, namely, part of Idumea; capital of Edom (Am 1:12). Hebrew geographers faced the east, not the north as we do; hence with them "the right hand" was the south. Temanites were famed for wisdom (Jer 49:7). Baruch mentions them as "authors of fables" (namely, proverbs embodying the results of observation), and "searchers out of understanding."
Bildad the Shuhite—Shuah ("a pit"), son of Abraham and Keturah (Ge 25:2). Ptolemy mentions the region Syccea, in Arabia-Deserta, east of Batanea.
Zophar the Naamathite—not of the Naamans in Judah (Jos 15:41), which was too distant; but some region in Arabia-Deserta. Fretelius says there was a Naamath in Uz.
12. toward heaven—They threw ashes violently upwards, that they might fall on their heads and cover them—the deepest mourning (Jos 7:6; Ac 22:23).
13. seven days … nights—They did not remain in the same posture and without food, &c., all this time, but for most of this period daily and nightly. Sitting on the earth marked mourning (La 2:10). Seven days was the usual length of it (Ge 50:10; 1Sa 31:13). This silence may have been due to a rising suspicion of evil in Job; but chiefly because it is only ordinary griefs that find vent in language; extraordinary griefs are too great for utterance.